Riverside prepares for worse

Volunteers form an assembly line to make sandbags, a priceless commodity in flood-beleaguered Riverside.

RIVERSIDE – Riverside fire officials reported record levels of the Des Plaines River, which is expected to crest Friday morning.

Meanwhile, efforts were underway to evacuate residents of Groveland, Park Place, Lincoln, West, and portions of Waubansee, Forbes, Parkview, Kimbark, Pine, Maplewood, and Fairbanks a result of an anticipated crest of the river levy, Fire Chief Spencer Kimura said.

Fire department personnel are assisting those residents with evacuating their homes but personnel may not be able to assist at a later time as water continues to rise.

Residents were contacted by the reverse 911 system and by emergency personnel going door-to-door.

Sand and sandbags are available to residents in the parking lot between the Library and Township Hall. Please do not enter flooded areas and avoid the Des Plaines River.

The National Weather Service is predicting the Des Plaines River to crest at a record level of 10 feet 5 inches.

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